Grant
by Leolu
Summary: Tails gets a little offer to support his inventing... Just a small Tails one-shot. No real significance at all.


So, I'm assuming you all have prior knowledge of Sonic if you're reading this. It's just a one-shot, so I'm not getting very descriptive with the characters since everyone knows who it is…

Disclaimer: Sega owns Sonic and stuff (unfortunately) and I own the story… If I owned Sonic, Shadow the Hedgehog (the game) would've been about 12 times less edgy…

Anyways, enjoy!

There were four knocks on the wooden door in quick succession. I normally would've been at the door by the second knock, but I had just opened a can of soda. I sighed at the trivial inconvenience and sat the can on the rough, wooden counter behind me. I sped to the front door, only to find that my little brother had beaten me to it… _Speedy little fox..._

"Who is it?" He chirped, balancing himself in the air and peering through the peephole.

I smiled and silently chuckled. _He learns faster than he runs, though… Most five-year-olds have a hard time even reading…_ I was snatched from my thoughts when the visitor responded.

"I am Abel Brett from the DOI. I-"

"Digital Objec' Identifier? I don't think we need on'na those" Tails interrupted, finally setting himself on the ground. There was a small laugh from the other side of the door.

"Department of Industry. I'm from the DOI's STEM branch, specifically, and I have a message for Mr. Prower." He paused. "Do you mind bringing him here for me?"

I decided to open the door, wondering why I hadn't already. Exactly as I had guessed, he wore a grey suit and held an envelope. Other than that, there was nothing abnormal about him. He even reacted just as anyone else would.

"Ah… Sonic! Didn't expect to meet you here!" Tails giggled behind me. He had always loved people's reactions to meeting me.

"Well, this _is_ just about the only house in Mystic Ruins" I commented.

"A-ah… So it is…"

As the fastest thing alive, I did not enjoy waiting. I returned the conversation to the topic at hand.

"So, you have a message for Tails?"

"Tails… Prower?" I nodded in confirmation. He nodded back. "I do, but, by law, I must deliver it to him personally and have his signature."

I opened the door all the way, revealing my little brother to the messenger. The man was a bit skeptical of the fox's age, but he fit the description and was at the right address, so he said nothing.

"It's for you, buddy. He needs your autograph, though," I commented. This earned another chuckle from Abel.

"Yes… Right here…" Tails signed rather sloppily. Abel pulled a sheet of notebook paper from his pocket.

"And I need both of you to sign here." A blank sheet of paper. I knew what he was really asking for. We gave our autographs, and the man handed Tails the letter, thanked us, and left.

Tails dashed up the stairs and to his room, leaving me to drink my soda in the kitchen. I once again sighed, for it had become flat.

I didn't have long to mourn over my beloved beverage before my friend dashed down the stairs once again.

"Sonic, what's Homeland Security?" Tails didn't hesitate to ask me.

"H-Homeland Security?" This was the last question I had expected from the five-year-old.

"Yeah… What's Homeland Security?" He repeated.

"The Department of Homeland Security… It's main goal is to protect the country from anything… So basically us... Lemme see that letter." Tails obliged, handing me his letter.

 _Miles Prower_

 _Mystic Ruins, Mile 11, Acre 2_

 _In recent days, we have become aware of your heavy contribution to the safety of our people through the use of your machinery and technology. On behalf of the Department of Industry and the Department of Homeland Security, we would like to offer you the following:_

 _Full funding for the ownership of your biplane,  
_

 _Up to 90% of scrap metal from Dr. Eggman's robots, and  
_

 _$50,000 every month to fund inventing._

 _Funding will begin on the first day of next month. If you wish to cancel, please contact the Department of Industry._

I quit reading there. I was thoroughly… impressed! I wasn't quite surprised that he was receiving this, but I surely wasn't expecting it!

"Woah! Fifty grand a month! How much is that per hour in a normal forty hour week?" I as-

"Three hundred twelve an' a half," he answered before I could denote that I had asked a ques- "Almos' thirty-seven times miminum wage here!"

 _Dangit, Tails! Lemme finish my thoughts!_ (I really didn't mind him interrupting my thoughts - it was always nice to hear his unconditionally excited voice)

"I won't have to go to the scrapyard anymore, either! I can get it fresh from Eggman's robots," he added eagerly. "I'm gonna start makin' plans on what to do with all that!"

I ruffled my brother's head fur. "You go do that!"

x-x-x

I expected the worst, but got the best; I had expected my brother to spend more time in his workshop because of his funding, but the opposite held true! It turns out that he used to spent most of his time searching for parts in the junkyard rather than inventing. Now that he could just buy them, he was saving hours at a time.

It seems that Tails was happier about this than I was! He always had a large smile whenever he would come home from the workshop early, which was pretty often now. One such time, the fox was grinning extra wide.

"I just finished the Tornado 2!"


End file.
